Penrose Drain
by basementdweller
Summary: Mulder and Scully are dealing with the changes of the X-files and the changes in their relationship. Post En-Ami. Angst.


Disclaimer: I do not own Mulder or Scully or any other X-files characters; but I do enjoy borrowing them so please don't sue me. These characters belong to 1013 productions.

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at writing fan-fiction but i've been an avid reader for years. This doesn't really follow a timeline but alludes to some aspects of the X-files episodes over the years. I dont' know where it's going, don't know where this story came from, i just felt like writing it becuase these are truly awesome characters. So please be kind and review. I hope that you enjoy it.

**Penrose Drain**

Dana Scully's Apartment

6:54 a.m.

Dana Scully had a headache. The light coming in through the blinds of her bedroom window told her that she had overslept on a beautiful Saturday morning. Ignoring the sunny beams, she turned on her side away from the window. The black and white of sleep was beckoning her and she sighed as her pounding head sank into her fluffy pillows once again.

But the pounding wouldn't stop. After a few more tosses and turns she cursed the morning as the pounding grew louder. Her eyes popped open as she realized that the sound was actually coming from her front door.

Checking her clock she realized it was now 7:00 a.m. She let out an un-ladylike grunt and cursed the early morning visitor. If it was her landlord again, she was definitely going to consider moving. She took her time getting out of bed and walked slowly to the door, stretching languidly as she walked towards the door.

The peephole revealed the disheveld look of her partner, Fox Mulder, as he stood stoically on the other side. She rolled her eyes. So much for a beautiful morning, Scully thought, as she rested her head softly against the door. The two of them had been at odds since she had ran off with the Cancer Man a few months ago and lately, it seemed like Mulder was looking for any reason to pick a fight with her. This morning was promising to be the same.

"Mulder, what's wrong?" Scully asked as her brows creased in concern as she finally opened the door.

"Nice pajamas you got there, Scully, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Mulder asked as he wiggled his eyebrows and looked her up and down with a smirk.

Scully's eyes widened. She looked down at her attire and cursed. She had forgotten, in her haste to get into bed the previous night, that she had just peeled off her dress and had worn her black chemise to bed.

"Sorry Mulder, come in and I'll go get changed." Scully said, ducking her head to hide the blush that was creaping up her neck. She hurriedly ushered him in and then headed for her bedroom, "If you're thirsty, you can check what I've got in the kitchen."

Mulder watched after her as he ried to contain his look of amusement. His subtle smile quickly turned to a brooding frown as he realized she hadn't answered his last question. Did he interrupt anything? Craning his neck he listened for any whispering in her bedroom. Resiging himself to knowing it was none of his business he laid the file folder he had in his hand on the coffee table and tried to look comfortable as he waited for her to come back.

"Late night, Scully?" Mulder asked as she walked back into the living room a few moments later, dressed ina pair of slacks and a baby blue button up sweater.

"I suppose it was. Agent Penrose and I ahd some last minute details to take care of for the case." Scully said as she looked at Mulder and took a seat in a chair opposite from him.

"Really?" Mulder asked as if not really believing what she was saying, "Well, from the looks of these surveillance photos, it looks like you were doing more than wrapping up details on a late night case."

Scully took the offered file folder and opened it. Her eyes widened again that morning as the blurry black and white image of her kissing Agent Penrose on the cheek came into view.

Mulder looked at her exptectantly. The pictures had irritated him and once he'd received them at 2 a.m. that morning from the Lone Gunmen, he'd bolted out his own apartment door without a word of thanks to his dorky friends. He made a mental note to call them and ask whether or not they had locked the door on their way out.

He also had fallen asleep in his car outside Scully's apartment and was not aware that she had returned home until he had woken up by a honking car in the neighboring parking lot.

"Whre did you get these?" Scully asked, trying to reign in the first signs of annoyance.

"The Gunmen stopped by last night; these were fresh off the press. They've been tracking you since the case started."

"What for? Who told them to do this?" Scully asked, staring point blank into Mulder's eyes.

"I did." Mulder said, sending a challenging glare in her direction.

There was a long, pregnant pause as they both stared at each other; each one daring the other to explain their actions.

It was Mulder that spoke first with it being obvious that he was trying to hold in his anger.

"If you're going to start turning down cases becuase you've got other work that is more important, then you better tell me now Scully becuase I need to know who I can rely on."

Scully's face grew hot with quiet rage, "I told you why I ahd to be on this case Mulder. I explained to you that it was just a one time thing. I don't see what this has to do with whether or not you can rely on me or not."

"I asked you yesterday morning Scully, if you could assist us by looking at some lab specimens and you told me that you were going to be at Quantico all afternoon working on some evidence that you and Penrose found. You told me that you agreed to stay on with Agent Penros until the end of the case and from the looks of it, it's been dragging on for the last month. How long is it going to go on?" Mulder paused his monotone tirade and picked up the folder in question, "And then I get these pictures from the Gunmen and now I'm wondering what's really going on."

"Why Mulder?" Scully asked as she gripped the arms of her chair, "There are three of us on the X-Files now. You requisitioned for Diana to start working with us on an 'as needed' basis yet she's been on every case with us. I didn't think this case warranted the expertise of three specially trained FBI Agents. In this situation Mulder, I thought it would be okay to accept a request from anther agent who called in a favor. I even asked you if it was alright, just to be courteous and you even agreed that it would be a good idea."

Mulder looked at her as if her argument had no concrete basis and succumbed to his childish behavior as he asked his next question, "What were you really doing with Agent Penrose last night?"

His gaze searched hers and dared her to tell him the truth.

"You have no right to question me about Agent Penrose. I think you should go." Scully said as she crossed her arms. She was angry at him for coming into her home, waving his righteous flag of doubt and expecting her to surrender to his prodding. She would have none of it.

She waited for Mulder to get up and leave but was surprised when he just sat on her couch with a look of anger and disbelief on his face.

"No." he simply said and leaned back in his chair.

"Mulder, you're acting like a child. Just go, we'll figure this out later. I'm tired." Scully said as she rubbed her forehead to empasize her words.

Mulder sat in silence with her for a few moments and then grabbed the photos and stood up. His anger seemed to have dissipated in that brief period of time and he looked at her staring back at him. Something in him stopped him and he sat down again and threw the photos back on the coffee table, not caring that some of them had scattered to the floor.

"Scully," Mulder said tiredly and then bent his head as if embarrassed for speaking her name again. He let out a loud sigh and then stared straight ahead of him, not looking at her, "I've missed you."

Mulder gave an ironic smile and leaned his face into his hands as he rubbed his eyes. He was so confused.

Scully may have been cursing Mulder that morning, but at that moment, seeing him in his confession, she cursed herself. It was a truth universally accepted in her mind that she would never be able to deny Mulder whatever he wished, even in times when he didn't know he had that power over her.

She didn'tknow how long she had stared at him, but she got up from her chair moments later and sat down in front of him on her coffee table and took his hands from his face.

He looked at her with more confusion as she lowered her gaze to their joined hands.

"Mulder, I'm still around. I'm still here if you need something. It's just with this case and Agent Penrose, I wanted to finish what I started. And that is the complete and honest truth. We went undercover last night. At least I did since Penrose was himself. I was there as Dr. Penrose's new girlfriend only becuase they needed someone to get into the lady's bathroom during the Physician's Ball to lay out the surveillance equipment. That was my late night and that's what the Gunmen picked up on their photos. I was just playing a part."

Mulder squeezed her hands and invaded her space as he pulled her closer to where his forehead could rest on hers.

"You don't have to explain Scully. I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do anymore." Mulder felt like a child in his confession and squeezed his eyes tight as he said what was left to say, "I just feel like I'm losing you."

"Mulder," Scully said in surprise, "What is going on with you? What makes you think that?"

"You're not around as much," Mulder winced a little as his voice took on a slightly whiny tone, "I'm always getting messages from you that you're in the lab, you're in the local path lab for some other agent, you're over here, over there, but not anywhere around me. You're never in the office anymore, it's hard getting you on the phone and then this case with Agent Penrose is more important than the case that I wanted you on."

"Look, Mulder, I know that we have our issues. I just thought that it would be in our best interest if I stayed away for a little bit. To give ourselves a break from each other," Scully paused to help the words sink in for the both of them, "We've been getting on each other's nerves and we've been arguing non-stop about anything and everything ever since..." Scully's voice trailed off, surprised at what she had almost admitted.

Following her train of thought, Mulder finished what she wanted to say, "Since Diana started working with us."

Scully looked up quickly and then looked down. That action alone gave Mulder the confirmation of his words. He knew, in the back of his head that Scully would never trust Diana. And part of him, although he wasn't comfortable enough to admit it to Scully yet, knew that he didn't trust Diana as deeply as he did the woman sitting infront of him.

Oh what a mess we are, Mulder thought, as he looked at their entwined hands. In one bold movement, Mulder pulled Scully towards him and she had no choice but to sit in his lap. He hugged her. He thought maybe she would protest after her initial shock but instead, she encircled her arms around him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. If this was going to be a conversation they wouldn't speak of again, like so many other past conversations they didn't speak of in the years they have known each other, Mulder figured he would at least make this moment one for the record.

* * *

"Agent Fowley," the Cancerman smiled coyly after he exhaled a bout of cigarette smoke as they both watched the surveillance video screen, "it seems that your influence on Agent Mulder isn't as strong as you initally made us to believe."

Diana Fowley watched the screen intently, quietly with a broken heart, as she watched the scene unfold before her. Mulder and Scully had moved from a sitting position to a lounging position as they both seemed to be taking a leisurely nap on Scully's couch. Even though they were not kissing, the way they were holding each other looked far more intimate.

Biting down her embarrassement and her jealousy, she turned to the Cancerman with a look of confidence, "I'm sure it can be changed, Sir. I just need more time."

The end


End file.
